Chronicles of Wind and Fire
by Kelik
Summary: Growing up hated by the world is never easy. A darkness begins to sprout in the hearts of the shunned, but even then - just a bit of light can save the wretched. In the end, only light can drive out the darkness - for darkness only creates more darkness. Eventual ShikaNaru. Possible IruKaka or KakaAnko. Rating May Change with future Chapters.
1. Hate

_**Hate**_

_"In time we hate that which we often fear."_

_- William Shakespeare_

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The air was crisp and chilling, the wind slicing through clothing and pushing the cold into the bones of all those who dared to brave the early morning. It was a pleasant morning though, quiet. The birds still slumbered in their nests as the night owls and bats withdrew into their own homes, following the final shadows of darkness to escape the torment of the light. It wasn't until the outraged cries of 'Thief, Thief' rang through the morning air that people began poking their heads out their windows and doors to see what the day had in store. They watched with narrowed eyes and lips drawn down in scowls as a young boy stumbled past, a loaf of burnt bread clutched tightly to his chest. The baker followed the child down the streets, round belly jiggling as his face turned red from the exertion. In his chunky, flour covered hand was a butcher's knife, something he'd snagged from the butcher next door when the boy took off with the loaf he'd thrown into the trash.

The baker chased the boy for a good ten minutes before a flash of green and silver snagged the running boy and leapt away. The baker stared at the spot the boy had been just moments ago and glanced around, his eyes skimming the rapidly filling streets before landing on the silver-haired form atop a roof not but a few feet man. The husky man gulped and hid the knife behind his back before taking a step back, not stupid enough to face the wrath of one of the Village's best Shinobi.

Said Silver-haired shinobi watched until the baker's form was merely a dot before looking at the tense body he held firm in his grasp. Spiked blonde hair nearly stabbed him in the eyes as he dropped his head to get a better look. Blonde hair he'd know anywhere - blonde hair he once saw daily, during his own childhood years. "It seems you got to him before I did, how troublesome," the lazy words were followed by a soft 'tch,' as another Shinobi landed gracefully beside his comrade, dull onyx orbs skimming over the scrawny form of the child. "This is the fifth time this week, Kakashi," the voice continued after a long silence, "and it's only Wednesday." Neither needed to know the odds of what would happen if the merely sent the boy on his way again - it wasn't uncommon for them to have to rescue the boy from the angered, and wrongly so, villagers.

"I know," the silver haired Shinobi replied softly. Kakashi Hatake knew better than anyone; the torment the child suffered because of the beast residing within him - the beast the child's own father gave his life to seal away. "There's nothing we can do, however," he continued a moment later. By then the golden haired boy was squirming, struggling to get out of the man's hold. Neither Shinobi made a move to help him escape. "I suppose I should go and report back to the Sandaime," Kakashi chirped before holding the still squirming form of the child out to the other man. The two stared at one another before the raven haired man just laughed and turned on his heels, leaping off of the roof and into the suddenly swarming streets below. Kakashi sighed and pulled the boy back to him. "Stop squirming," he huffed, "I'm not going to hurt you. We're going to see the Hokage." And with that, he darted towards the large tower, leaping from roof to roof until he reached the window of the tower, slipping in silently.

An aging man sat at a large desk, pipe hanging from his lips. "Old man!" the boy exclaimed, the first words he'd uttered since his capture by the Silver haired man. "Old Man, tell this old geezer to put me down!" He cried out again, his struggles renewed. The desked man merely chuckled and gave an inclination of his head, with the tip of his head, the boy was set back on the ground. The child turned and gave Kakashi a swift kick to the shin before darting over to the aging man, hiding behind his chair. "Old Man, I didn't do nothin'. I swear it," he cried again, gaze narrowed at the other shinobi. "Whatever he tells ya, s'all a lie!" The old man merely arched a brow at the young blonde before directing his attention to the Shinobi.

"What is it that Naru-kun didn't do, Kakashi?" he inquired kindly, old voice cracked and hoarse from age and use. Kakashi merely sighed, fingers twitching towards his side pocket, yearning to open the book held within the pouch.

"He stole a loaf of bread from the Baker. The old man chased him around the Village before I got to him," came the monotonous response. With a nod the Hokage turned his attention back to the boy.

He looked over the dirtied state of the boy's clothes and the various scrapes and bruises marring the sun-kissed flesh. What caught his attention the most however, was the clothes billowing out around his much too small frame. "Why did you steal a loaf of bread, Naruto? You know better," the old man chided the boy.

"It wasn't my fault. I was hungry. And he threw it out anyways! Not like he'd miss a burnt loaf he'd thrown in the trash. The Orphanage didn't feed me nothin'. They said I didn't deserve no food, bein' a monster and all. Ne, Old Man, why do they keep callin' me a monster?" Both of the boy's elders flinched at the words, cringing at the knowledge the boy had to go 'dumpster-diving' for his meal, and at the inquiry of the rotten name. Neither man spoke, glancing at one another, searching for a good answer. With the opening of the door, however, the two men were saved. "Big Brother!" The child exclaimed, charging away from the desk and into the awaiting arms of the smoker.

The raven haired man smiled kindly, heaving the bubbly six-year-old up. Said child wrapped his legs around the other's torso, his arms around the man's neck and rested his chubby face against the strong shoulder. "Naru-kun," the man greeted softly, rubbing his back gently. "I thought you'd be here. Are you hurt?" The child shook his head, clutching the man.

"Asuma," Kakashi chirped, lifting a hand in greeting. The other man simply tipped his head in acknowledgement and made his way further into the chambers, the door slamming shut behind him.

"You're the one who found him, Kakashi?" Asuma inquired, still holding the child. At the nod he sighed and leaned his cheek against the blonde hair. "What happened, little brother?" Naruto shrugged his tiny shoulders.

"Naruto stole a loaf of bread from the Baker. He said the orphanage hasn't fed him, and he was hungry." The hokage spoke to his son, knowing the bond between the man and child was strong. Asuma's hold tightened around his proclaimed 'little brother,' his jaw clenching in barely contained anger.

The man continued to rub small circles on the boy's back. "Shikaku came and found me, told me where I could find him. I'm going to take him to get something to eat, then have a chat with the Care-takers," Asuma sneered, but a raised hand of his father made him pause a moment, confusion clear on his face.

The Hokage took a heavy breath, onyx orbs skimming from one Shinobi to the other, before landing on the broken boy. "I believe it's time Naru-kun finds a home. But, as we all know, the chances of that are slim. With Jiraiya gone all the time on his 'research,' he has not been able to take control of his guardianship. After much deliberation, however, we have decided upon a suitable guardian." At Asuma's curious gaze, the man sighed. "The council will not permit the Sarutobi Clan to adopt the Jinchuuriki child, though I have tried multiple times. Danzo's power of the council is merely too strong. In light of this, we believe you - Hatake Kakashi - would be a suitable guardian."

"Sir," Kakashi began, astonished by the old man's words. "An Anbu is no more fit to care for a child than a researching Sannin!"

"And that is why you will no longer be an Anbu. We have been pleased with your work, as you should know, but Naruto needs a guardian - someone this village fears and respects, to keep him safe." It was a low blow, suckering Kakashi in as he was - but it was still the truth.

Asuma had been quiet for the entirety of the conversation, his arms ensnaring the half-asleep boy. "Why," he finally snapped. "Naruto is more connected with us, with me, than he is with Hatake! Why is the council okay with Naruto staying with him, instead of us." He was letting his emotions control him, but the thought of having to send Naruto to live with a stranger was infuriating. The knowledge that Naruto couldn't stay with him was devastating.

The Sandaime understood his son's grief, as he'd very much wanted the child to reside within their household as well - but he'd been overruled by the Council. By Danzo. "You know Kakashi will take good care of him, Asuma." the man scolded softly. "From this day forth, Kakashi Hatake is the guardian of Naruto Uzumaki." And that was final.

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**Hey everyone, Kelik here. So, I hope you liked this first chapter of my new story. It's the first Naruto Fanfic I have done on here, the first one for a very very long time in general. For those of you following my other story, The Wounded, know that I have not given up on it yet! I am still working on it, just it's coming along a bit slower. Anyways, Read and Review if you would please, I'd love some good, constructive criticism and ideas for the story!**


	2. Fear

**_FEAR_**

_"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."_

_- Franklin D. Roosevelt_

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The moon hung low in the sky, dim rays lighting the cobblestone path leading to the small home of one Kakashi Hatake. A few strands of golden hair poked out of an orange blanket as the six-year old slept within the confines of Kakashi's arms. It had been a long, grueling day of court hearings and troublesome Council members. The Sandaime hadn't been kidding when he'd said that from that day forth he was Naruto's guardian. The Council had been called just moments after the Hokage's decision was made. Needless to say, the council had not been pleased to learn of the Jinchuriki's new circumstances and living arrangements and had tried to deny the Copy-Cat Ninja guardianship of the child. The Hokage had fought long and hard, bringing in various Shinobi to attest to Kakashi's capability of caring for the child. The silver-haired man wasn't sure if he could even care for the child, but as Gai, Kurenai, Genma, Tsume, Shikaku - even Asuma and Anko - came forward, speaking in his favor, Kakashi knew he wouldn't be alone in caring for the child.

In the end, the adoption was successful and Kakashi was left to collect Naruto from the Sarutobi estate. At first the blonde had been hesitant on leaving the grounds, eyeing the Silver haired man suspiciously. When Asuma arrived, Naruto had clung to the man and refused to let go, protesting madly to the idea of leaving his Big Brother. It had taken an hour and a half to calm the child down enough to listen. With Asuma's promise of visiting with the child every day, with the raven haired man's reassurances that Kakashi would not hurt him, and if the man ever did, he would deal with him personally. It had taken another hour to get the child to relinquish his hold on the Sarutobi heir. Asuma had wrapped Naruto tightly in the ridiculously bright orange blanket before handing him over to the silver-haired man. "He likes foxes," he snapped grumpily, eyes narrowed at the shinobi, "I went to go and collect his things from the orphanage, but they said he didn't have anything, so tomorrow you'll have to take him to get some things. Don't let him get everything in orange. Just one item, if he tries the puppy eyes, promise to take him to get some Ramen once you finish shopping and only if he just gets one thing in Orange. You'll have to be with him at every step or else the shop-keepers will kick 'em out. If I hear he got hurt under your watch, Hatake, I'll -"

The man was cut off as Kakashi lifted one hand, balancing the slumbering six year old in the other arm. "He won't come under any harm under my care, Asuma. You have my word." Asuma didn't look to believe him but gave a curt nod anyways and leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to the child's forehead. "You know you can see him whenever you please. Things will be fine." Kakashi said again before turning and carrying the child away.

That had been two hours ago. Naruto had woken up halfway through the trek back to the Hatake household and had commented about being hungry as they neared a small Ramen Shop. Kakashi had taken the subtle hint and stopped there for their dinner. The old man behind the counter looked overjoyed at the sight of the young blonde, though his gaze turned suspiciously to the Shinobi the child was in the arms of. After three bowls of Miso Ramen, Naruto happily thanked the old man and his daughter. Kakashi had paid silently, startled by the amount the boy had eaten, and bundled the child back in the blanket before lifting him back up and resuming their trek home. Naruto didn't utter a word to him the entire walk back. The boy's cerulean orbs were trained on the man's face though, curiously regarding the masked face and covered eye. The child fell asleep ten minutes before they arrived at the house, soft breaths blowing out puffs of steam in the chilling night.

Kakashi watched the sleeping face as he crossed the threshold, taking in the whiskered cheeks and blonde locks. How no one had figured out the child's lineage yet was beyond surprising. The resemblance was uncanny. His heart gave a lurch and he looked away from the sight and instead focused on laying the boy down without waking him up just yet. He rifled through his closet, searching for something suitable for the child to wear for the night. Settling upon one of his long sleeved shirts, Kakashi kneeled by the bed and touched the boys cheek gently. Naruto grunted at the contacted and rolled away, showing his back to the man. Kakashi just chuckled and sat on the bed this time, carding a hand through the boy's hair. "Naru-kun," he crooned, massaging the boy's scalp. The child moaned and swatted at the hand, content to remain asleep. "You can't sleep in this, Naruto. You need a bath before bed." The child just grunted and peeked one bleary blue orb open, squinting at his new-found Guardian.

"gotta?" he muttered, forcing himself into a sitting position and rubbed a fist against his eyes, willing the sleep away. Kakashi merely nodded and lifted Naruto back into his arms, padding silently into the bathroom, long-sleeved shirt in hand. Naruto eyed the water cautiously, allowing Kakashi to undress him; he poked a finger into the tub, testing the temperature out before looking up at Kakashi with childishly curious orbs. He turned his gaze back to the tub before slowly climbing into it, sinking down so that he was sitting on the bottom of the tub, staring at the bubbles filling the ivory appliance. Kakashi rolled the sleeves of his shirt up and knelt by the tub when the boy made no move to begin cleaning himself and applied a liberal amount of his shampoo to his open palm and moved it towards the child's head. Naruto squeaked and jerked his head back in alarm, staring at the palm with wild eyes. Kakashi watched curiously as Naruto grabbed his wrist and held it away from him, refusing to allow it any closer.

"Naruto," he whispered. The blonde's gaze flew to the man's face, his tiny chest rising and falling rapidly. Kakashi brought the hand to the surface of the water and into the boy's line of sight. "It's just shampoo, Naru-kun," he crooned softly, waiting for Naruto to relax. The blonde eyes the liquid warily before leaning forward, sniffing it. He drew back a moment later and released his hold on the other's wrist hesitantly. With a standard one-eyed smile, Kakashi moved the hand back up and towards the blonde's head. The frail boy was tense as Kakashi kneaded the shampoo into his scalp, scrubbing the dirt of grime out of his hair. "Naruto," Kakashi chirped, pulling his hand away and rinsed the suds off in the water, "I need you to hold your breath so that I can rinse the soap out of your hair, okay?" With that he moved a hand to the back of the boy's head and slowly began guiding him back towards the water. Naruto's gaze grew frantic and he scrambled, water and soap splashing and lurching over the sides of the tub as he struggled to keep himself from going under. Kakashi quickly sat the child up and withdrew his hands, holding them up in a show of backing off. Naruto's haggard breathing and wide eyes shot of pang of anger through him. He didn't want to know why the boy was so terrified of the water, of going under it. He could guess why, and the mere thoughts made him want to hunt down the Orphanage Care-taker and rip him a new one.

"Naruto," he touched the boy's shoulder lightly, "Naruto, I won't hurt you. Do you understand that?" The child said nothing in return but merely watched him, eyes tracking his every move. Kakashi let out a light sigh before looking around the bathroom before settling on a red cup on the sink. He stood and grabbed it before kneeling back by the tub and showed it to the child. "I'm going to rinse your hair, okay Naruto?" Naruto watched as the Shinobi scooped some water into the cup and tracked it as the cup made it's way to his head. His eyes snapped closed as the water cascaded over him, sputtering as some of the bubbles got in his mouth. Over and over the water cascaded around him until the plug was pulled and the sound of the water gurgling down the drain brought him back from the darkness of closed lids. He blinked impishly up at Kakashi as the man stood with an onyx towel at the ready. Naruto stood and allowed the material to be wrapped around him and watched as Kakashi rubbed him dry. He stepped back into his underwear and held his arms above his head as the man dropped the much too large shirt down over them. The shirt engulfed his tiny frame, pooling at his feet while the sleeves blanketed his arms and drug across the ground.

Kakashi was very clearly trying not to laugh at the sight of the child, and with a promise of getting Naruto some suitable sleep clothes on the morrow, he lifted the boy and carried him back to the bed, tucking him under the covers before slipping silently out of the room. The copy-cat ninja sat upon his couch and rested his head on the backrest, tension filling his very being. Naruto had been dealt a poor hand - the child didn't deserve the treatment he'd been given. He wondered what the boy would have been like without the support and guidance of the Hokage on Sarutobi's Heir. He cast the thought away just as quickly as it came, deciding he didn't want to know what the answer could have possibly been.

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**Hey guys, Kelik again. So, another chapter is done! I hope you guys enjoyed it! And as always, please R&R!**


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